I’ll start this thing off by apologizing, because this is going to be cheesy. Seeing this is my very last editorial for the Pioneer, I wanted to leave some words of advice to my peers at OCCC. I’ve attended OCCC since fall of 2012 and it’s been a ride, and it has been quick. Peers, this college is full of opportunities — not only for learning, but for networking. I cannot stress enough how important it is to network with fellow students and professors. These people can help you out in many ways, and will if you’re nice enough to them.

According to artofmanliness.com, here are a few tips on learning to network:

“Be cognizant of your image and reputation.” I have to say, dressing nicely and maintaining a perfectly groomed beard has gotten me places. Okay, not really, but people take you more seriously when you look professional. Showing up to an interview like you just woke up and mowed your lawn isn’t the way to go.

The Norman Music Festival is an event I look forward to every year. The diverse music and energetic atmosphere combine to create an entertaining experience for all to enjoy. But this year, I didn’t feel as safe as I normally would have in the past.

Recently, the Oklahoma Second Amendment Association claimed the Norman Music Alliance and City of Norman infringed on their Second Amendment rights by not allowing people to bring guns to the festival.

There is one issue which drives me up the wall these days, not just here at OCCC, but in so many places I go. This issue I talk about is public restroom etiquette.

Now when I say restroom etiquette, I mean how people interact with others in the restroom, and with the restroom itself. I must start by admitting, I am not really too sure about the etiquette code of women in the restroom.

My issue may be more with males and men’s rest rooms than with women and their restrooms. But I digress.

Every day when I come into the college, I always see at least five individuals with the 44- to 64-ounce Big Gulp soda. Every day I see more and more reasons why we need to limit the amount of sugar-filled drinks that are consumed on a daily basis.

One-third of America is obese, according to cdc.gov. I’m not talking about an extra layer of warmth for the chilly nights. Obesity is a health hazard. It can kill you. Of course there are many other things that can kill, but obesity can be controlled, and it starts with filling up the cup of death.

Those killer cups of liquid sugar are adding more numbers to the obesity rates, but hsph.harvard.edu has research posted on the effects just one can of soda a day can have. Those risks include a 26 percent chance increase of type 2 diabetes, 20 percent higher chance of a heart attack or dying from a heart attack, and a 75 percent increase in gout.

I’ve always been a huge fan of reality television. I grew up watching “Jon & Kate Plus Eight,” “Little People Big World,” “Cake Boss” and “19 Kids and Counting.” I still watch these shows and have added “Duck Dynasty” to my list. It seems like every week some star of a reality show is on every social media outlet for something they said, something they posted, or even what they think.

Most recently, Phil Robertson, patriarch of “Duck Dynasty,” made a speech at a prayer breakfast about atheists.

Of course, this sparked a major controversy and involved everyone who has a Facebook page. This isn’t the first time the Robertsons or stars of reality television shows have been ridiculed for having conservative beliefs.

Most people, when tested, will reveal themselves to be devoutly populist, meaning they form their values from what’s perceived to be a prevailing sentiment of the majority around them. This creates an interesting phenomenon — bystander apathy.

One sees something that seems entirely out of place, but seeing multiple people around who aren’t reacting to it, the individual refuses to react as well.

I think of it in terms of the 8th grade dance. Everyone wants to dance. The gymnasium is decorated and basketball courts are transformed to dance floors. Music is playing, everyone is dressed up and we’ve been secretly practicing our moves. The boys are all bunched up on one side, girls on the other and nobody is dancing.